Drifting
by Nihilly
Summary: Anguished, Sakura is a petal drifting in the wind, striking down fools who dare glance at her beauty all because of one fatal mistake she made; now, trapped in a circle of death, all Sakura can do is keep slaughtering to relieve her sins. ItaSakuSasu.
1. Prologue

Complete summary: (Sakura's POV) AU. I'm drifting again, just drifting blindly through life. I go anywhere they tell me to, kill anyone they they even point at. Why? It's hard to remember. I've been doing it since... my first kill. Funny how it's almost like your virginity; once you lose it, you can cry all you want but you'll never get that certain something back. I'm numb now, so numb I can't even tell if my heart is there sometimes, though that may be for the best because sometimes I see the faces of those I've killed—some friends I dared to call dear.Now, my only purpose in life is to destroy, and being in Konoha doesn't change anything.

Hello my fellow obsessive Naruto fanatics.This was my first fanfic, oh, I don't know, nearly three years ago and has been abandoned for quite some time. Have no fear! I'm back with a(n) (actual) plot line with (hopefully) better writing abilities and more! I winced at my old writing; I really did. It was god awful, so much that I'd like to slap myself but I'm allergic to pain.

This will be a very AU fic, with a few relations to the original (wonderful) Naruto world.

Konoha, sand, mist, etc. will now be various cities around the country. Ninja's aren't everywhere, but violence and guns sure are. Chakra's a rare thing, and smart people like to keep their abilities hidden or they'll either be targeted as threats or rounded up as experiments/soldiers.

In the original version of this, Sakura and company were 14 and in the 8th grade (what was I thinking, yikes. There's not enough drama in middle school). They've made a move up, however, and are now lovely little 17 year-olds.

Last but not least! Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or anything of any value for that matter, and writing this is totally bogus but quite entertaining because it shows how entertaining you can be. In this case, I suppose I fail.

Now, happy reading.

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Drifting_  
_

_Sakura swayed in the wind, the soft hushing noise a sweet lullaby to her. Standing under the shifting shade of a tree, her eyes were closed in sweet bliss. Heavenly. That was the only word she could think of to describe her life of eight years thus far. There was nothing that could beat the light of which her life flared so violently, so happily._

_She began to hum, because she knew there was no way she could express her feelings by words. Next to her, sitting at the base of the tree, the older boy smiled softly._

_Raven black hair fell into his charcoal eyes as they drifted over her petit figure. After a moment, he began to hum to._

_Together they created a lovely melody with highs so steep she thought her soul would topple over and shatter, but then his low, smooth voice was always there to catch her and swing her in his arms just before she fell. In the distance the sun dipped, and the wing settled, just a brief second, for a fleeting minute, and after a blessed set of five._

_Then, she spoke, ever so softly as if something very dear would shatter if she weren't cautious. "Ne…" At this moment, her life's light was at its peak, blazing so vigorously that it was possible it outmatched the sun._

_His deep orbs met her ever brilliant green ones. "Yes, Sakura?" he whispered, sweet and more understanding than anyone of his age. Bright, bright, the fire was so beautiful and orange and vibrant._

_"Will we be like this forever?" she asked earnestly.The boy looked taken aback, something Sakura noticed. She blushed. "I mean, it doesn't have to be forever. Just a really long time."_

_His eyes lowered. "Of course."_

_Gleeful, she twirled out from under the tree, tilted her head, and threw her gaze at the heated sky. Oh it was so perfect, illuminated in glory. With one leg out for balance and the other planted firmly on the ground, she continued to spin like a tinkering ballerina. _

_Then a writhing shadow emerged and consumed everything._

"No!" Sakura groaned and rolled over on the cold wooden ground, her heart hammering uncontrollably in her ribcage. She gasped in air, trying to calm her thudding chest, and realized what had happened. Like a lazy fool, sleep had claimed her after her morning workout. It had been inevitable, she knew. A person could only go for so long without sleep, and she hated relying on the dreamless pills.

They screwed her up more than any lack of sleep ever could. Vomiting, heart palpitations, it came with a whole list of problems, but she still preferred them over dreaming.

There was nothing worse than dreaming.

Dimmed green eyes checked the time. It was 6:30, barely enough time to shower before heading to her first day of class. Funny how after ten years of blatantly ignoring the educational system, she was shoved into one until "further notice" according to the orders she had gotten. The only other thing it had mentioned was to stay low and become familiar with the surroundings.

Orders, that's all she lived for now: little tiny words scrawled on scraps of paper, all doomed to be burned lest someone else find them.

Sakura shrugged off her bitterness and headed to the bathroom. She mercilessly scrubbed her face before climbing into the shower, but even then she could not help but catch a glimpse of herself in the mirror.

Chestnut brown hair weaved down her head, lifeless and uncared for and gleaming blue contacts stared back at her. She was a stranger in her own body, but it couldn't be helped, as she liked to tell herself. None of this could be helped, because she was back in this cursed town where it had all started and no one was allowed to recognize her.

Konoha, the catalyst of all her life. Even that was an understatement because so many other things revolved around the sleepy city, so much crime that it made the most hardened individuals cringe and angels cry tears of pity.

Stop thinking, she reprimanded herself. It only makes things more horrible.

The shower was brief and to the point. First she was sweaty and dirty, now she was clean. She didn't earn much money and her employers refused to pay for her living expenses, so she was stuck in a grungy presentment that lacked hot water, cutting most of her showers short. Getting dressed, she put on her simplest clothes: simple, torn, black jeans and a red and white blouse. The blouse was a lucky one; she wore it on the first day of all her new missions.

She grabbed her bag and keys and made her way out of the apartment. The doorknob was flimsy and almost to the point where it was falling off, she noted. It was another thing she'd have to pay for, most likely.

Sakura didn't enjoy the walk to school. Clouds were moving in, suffocating the sun out of the sky and faint rumbles could be heard. It'd rain today, drenching the city in more sobs and water. There wasn't even anything particularly appealing to look at on her trek to school. A rundown building here, a browned lawn there—the most interesting thing to look at was, in fact, the spidery cracks that ran along the sidewalk. It was almost entertaining to wonder when they had first appeared and how had they come to life.

Was it the shifting of the earth? Perhaps someone with a handgun had missed a moving target and hit the cement instead? The possibilities were numerous.

She finally reached the school and an intimidating amount of teenagers were stooped in front of the main building. Apparently, it was the cool thing to do to hang out with your friends before the first bell. Sighing, she perched herself against the wobbly wooden sign of the school.

It read: _Welcome to Konoha High School_. Except someone had slashed out Konoha High School and scribbled in Hell.

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Hope you liked it, because if you did, that means I should be expecting wonderful little reviews, right? Even if you didn't like it, hated it even, that little review button is plenty wonderful for constructive criticism. 

Are you still reading this? Hit that button already. You can do it.

Anyhoo, forgive me for any OOCness you may notice. Take note that this is AU, characters have experienced different things (Sakura mainly, really), and this is my first (technical) fanfic (though in the process of being rewritten).

Much hearts and kisses.

-Nihilly


	2. One: Monsters Wait to be Slain

Complete summary: (Sakura's POV) AU. I'm drifting again, just drifting blindly through life. I go anywhere they tell me to, kill anyone they they even point at. Why? It's hard to remember. I've been doing it since... my first kill. Funny how it's almost like your virginity; once you lose it, you can cry all you want but you'll never get that certain something back. I'm numb now, so numb I can't even tell if my heart is there sometimes, though that may be for the best because sometimes I see the faces of those I've killed—some friends I dared to call dear.Now, my only purpose in life is to destroy, and being in Konoha doesn't change anything. 

So we meet again! Here's the second (much needed) rewrite. Again, I cringed to see all my mistakes. Thanks to anyone who's reading these very words. Yes you. I see you.

Disclaimer: I own my drawings, my imagination, and anything original, but I dont own Naruto, and most likely, never will. (sob)

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Drifting

Sakura didn't go to class immediately when the bell rang; she lingered for reasons she didn't understand herself. Perhaps it was the apprehension of seeing old faces again, alive and blinking. Or perhaps it was because she wanted to scope out the setting before she delved into enemy territory.

Or maybe she was just lying to herself and delaying the inevitable reunion with _him_. God knew she wasn't looking forward to looking at him.

Get a grip, she thought. She could always use lunch and break to scout—it wasn't as if she'd have anything else to do, anyways. Resigned, Haruno followed the steps so many students had taken just moments before. She knew just where her first classroom was too; it had been a place she had visited frequently in her childhood.

A fluorescent light flickered unstably as she walked beneath it. A left on the first fork, and then upstairs, Sakura did not even have to think about reaching her destination. Make sure not to trip on the wrecked fifth step. Down the hallway, past the old, navy lockers that begged for a fresh coat of paint, and then a right—she was finally here. Room B254.

Do or die. The latter choice didn't seem too bad, but then she thought of everything she had to make up for and banished all apprehension from herself.

Sakura grasped the doorknob and pushed its wooden frame open. Sitting with his feet upon the table and his head buried in a book, there sat Kakashi, a school headband draped lazily over one eye, looking exactly the same as when she'd last seem him ten years ago. His single eye drifted to her, and instead of responding with a cool stare like she'd done to so many in the past, she reacted nervously and diverted her attention to the class.

Big mistake.

Familiar faces swarmed her. Naruto, Sasuke, Ino, Shikamaru, Tenten, Neji—they were all there, healthy and kicking.

She was assaulted by a torrent of memories: carefree smiles, light giggles and hugs, days of watching the hazy morning turn into a scorching day, arguing, admiring the cityscape—so much had happened in her youth.

Damn them. The Akatsuki knew this would torment her and sent her anyways. Those twisted monsters. As if owning her soul weren't enough, they had to stretch it so thin she wanted to burst and disappear.

"Yo, you okay there?" Her head snapped back to the masked teacher. In her absent-mindedness he had sauntered up to her, his hands shoved in his pockets. Kakashi had never seemed so tall before.

"F-fine, just fine," she managed to drag out and handed him the paper the office had instructed her to give. "Just first day jitters." Thank god he didn't recognize her.

He eyed the paper, scanning it over quickly. She wouldn't have been surprised if she didn't read over a single word on there. "Well, then. Take a seat wherever you please, Miss Yuri."

"Thank you," she responded politely, feeling relieved that things were going smoothly. She observed the class and counted three empty seats; one next Ino, one in the far reaches of the room, though half broken and seemingly useless, and one behind Sasuke. The choice was clear and she walked to the back of the room, taking a seat in the tattered chair. It nearly fell back on her, but she managed to keep it upright.

Kakashi looked at her strangely, and this time she looked right back. She was Haruno Sakura and she would not let herself fall apart just because of a few people. She owed that much to _him_ at the very least. "I've got one rule. Shut up and be quiet, though I suppose that's two," he mused.

She just looked away. His brown eyes seemed searching.

He must have gotten bored because he was back in his chair when she raised her eyes again. Addressing the class, he gave them their assignment. "Now that that's settled, I'd like you guys to open your history textbooks and read pages 223 to 257." The class groaned in protest, though their cries were deaf to his ears.

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Even now Kakashi was a slacker, though she couldn't blame him if she was getting paid to sit around. Shuffling was heard throughout the room as students sorted out large, worn textbooks. She then realized she didn't have one.

Wonderful, and Kakashi didn't even seem to realize.

Sakura was about to raise her hand when he seemed to read her mind. "Yuri, share with Toma and pick up your own book today after school; he's the one sitting next to you." Her eyes flickered over to a boy with flaming red hair. He smiled at her, but when she didn't return it he let it falter and moved his desk over to hers.

"Hello," he greeted warmly. "My name is Toma, as you already know."

Silence was his only answer as she took his book and flipped to the right page. He seemed to speak some more, but her eyes fell on Sasuke. He looked so much like Itachi that it made her nervous. The black hair, the build, and she was willing to bet the eyes. There was the nagging sense that if turned around, she'd be staring into his identical eyes that saw right through her. Through her flesh, bones, blood, and all the way to her very tainted core.

Blood rushed to her face at the thought.

Her eyes moved to Ino, the girl who had been both her rival and best friend. She had developed curves, Sakura noted, and was ever fashionable in a low-cut, violent top and flashy jeans. She wondered if she was still chasing after Sasuke after all these years.

"Hey!" Toma whispered loudly and jerked her shoulder violently. Annoyed, she gave him a dirty look and started spouting the French she had picked up after staying in the country for a few years. It usually eased her nerves and she did so quietly enough so that others couldn't hear.

"What the fuck?" he asked incredulously. "I thought you spoke English?"

She gave him a mocking smile and shook her head. "Don't speak English good," she lied.

His eyes softened. "Aw, poor thing. I wish you could understand me. You're really pretty you know?"

Sakura merely nodded, her gaze back on Sasuke. "We should go out later. There's a really good restraint near my house," he spoke, slowly and clearly, and placed a hand on her arm.

That made Sakura stop. What was this bastard playing at? Did she look that easy that he thought one single compliment would bring her to her knees? Shaking him off, she kept up her smile. "_Je vous tuerai. Vous allez mourir, comprenez_?"

If only she could tell him in English.

"Uh huh, sure, babe." He didn't seem to understand her words be he seemed to catch onto her malice because he didn't make another move before the bell rang. She was more than glad to get out of the class in which had so many people she knew. On her way out, she bumped into Sauske roughly, her arm banging into his.

Withholding a hiss, she pretended to not notice and rushed off, heading towards the bathroom. Inside, a small freshman was washing her hands but immediately grabbed her things and left when Haruno entered and slammed the door behind her.

He had touched her! In the past she may have been thrilled, but this was now, the bloody, cruel reality she had been thrown in. Dumping her belongings on the ground, she hurried to turn on the faucet and scraped her elbow against the coarse wall. "Damn it, damn it, damn it," she muttered to herself. She felt so dirty, though not because he had touched her, but because she had the _audacity_ to even allow him to.

What a filthy whore she was. After all she had done to him.

Sakura slammed her hand on the soap dispenser and began to vigorously scrub her arm. She could feel her skin stinging, but nevertheless, she kept cleaning.

So unclean, unclean. Why was she such vermin?

Needless to say, she was late for her next class.

--

It was break time, finally. Her next two classes had been monotonously boring. Apparently, the school must have had an effective gossip ring because by the time she had entered her third class, people were already muttering "foreign girl". She had been late for her second class, as predicted, and Kurenai had not been happy and spent quite some time lecturing on punctuality.

Who needed punctuality when you had your own body to cleanse?

Thankfully, she didn't have anyone familiar in her second and third periods. However, she didn't consider herself blessed yet; Toma was in her third, and when she came walking out of that class, Toma came with her.

"Yuri, I have to ask you something," he declared, and surrounded by a group of his friends. Figures, men were always braver in groups.

She only clutched her bag and looked at him.

"I know you think Sauske is hot and all, but I think you and I would work out."

Sakura bristled. Didn't this guy get a hint? For gods' sake, people thought she didn't understand English and this guy was still mouthing off to her. She made a move to leave, but he grabbed her wrist.

Making a pull at her hand, he held on strong with a sweaty grip. Her anger was building, and she could feel its wrath demanding release. This guy was genuinely annoying without having to try at it.

"Plus, the guy's a complete bastard. He constantly has girls fawning over him, probably because they pity him."

Oh god, was he talking about it? "Just because his family's gone; I mean, boohoo, at least he has freedom," he said, sounding disgusted. "I hate having to deal with my family—"Toma was suddenly up against a dull locker and her bag abandoned once again on the ground. One of Sakura's arm across his neck and the other with a fistful of his collar. She heard him breathe sharply.

It felt so good to be in control, but she knew everyone was watching. Soon, administration would probably come, so she did the only thing she could do: she backed off and gave him her snidest look before picking up her belongings.

Then, she walked towards the exit of the building, her footsteps ringing in the silence of the building. They weren't alone for long; in a matter of seconds, after some murmuring, a chorus of steps followed her. The bastards were tailing her.

Oh but they didn't know. Hell hath no fury as a woman scorned. Her fists urged to beat something; it was pounded into her nature.

She led them to the outer edge of the school, in a corner where no one else would be able to see them. They followed like sharks followed raw meat, and soon, she stood facing Toma and two of his friends.

Only two? You're an awfully confident bastard, aren't you, she thought.

He was angry at being made the moron in front of a crowd. "Look, I tried to be nice," he Toma seethed, "but you're just a full out bitch."

I tapped my foot, waiting for him to just attack already, but to my annoyance and dismay, he went on and on about what a horrible woman I was and how I should be grateful for his attention. Finally, I interrupted him and said something.

"Look, are you going to stand there all day or do something, because I really don't have time to waste."

"How dare you!" one of his friends bellowed, pissed off indeed. He charged at her and she nimbly sidestepped, grabbed his head, and smashed it into the wall. The crunching felt good beneath her fingers.

Toma let out a roar; amused, she thought of bumbling gorillas. She didn't even bother to wait for him, and instead, she approached him took his hand. Then, she embraced him.

Bet he wasn't expecting that one.

He gurgled as Sakura pressed three needles into his back, all of which were emanating red. They quickly dissolved and fade, and he crumpled to the ground, suddenly wheezing and coughing blood.

"W-w-what?" Oh yes, there was the last imbecile.

Before he could blink, she was beside him. "M-monster," he lashed, aiming fists and feet barbarically at her.

Her lashes swept downward. "Yes, I am a monster," she said, regret drenching her words. "But at least I won't deny it."

Then, her smile was plastered back onto her face. "Good day."

Her fingers clenched his throat and she hurled him at the wall. A loud snap was heard. Yelling was heard in the distance, and she frowned. The fun was over so soon.

Quickly gathering her wits, she went over and place her hand on Toma's forehead. Channeling her chakra, she pulsed it into his mind. "You don't know who attacked you and I passed out the moment the attacker hit." Haruno then went over and did the same with the other two.

Running could be heard now, and she looked at her handy work. Toma could possibly die, though he was still breathing stubbornly. The first one to attack would have a concussion if not a small chance at brain damage, and the last would have some broken bones, maybe paralyzed if she were lucky. She chuckled at the thought of him in a wheelchair.

_"M-monster."_The words echoed in her hollow ears.

"Yes, I am a monster," she repeated. Abruptly, she felt empty. "A monster." Over the past ten years, she had managed to rid herself of many things: her identity, her morality, her innocence, her happiness, but never her shame.

It haunted her like her shadow.

Sakura shut her eyes and threw herself at the wall, sending a jolt of pain coursing throughout her body. Monster, monster, monster. Blood dripped down the side of her head, and she collapsed to the ground, though not unconscious.

"I found them!" she heard someone yell. More people gathered around.

"Wow, who did this?" Naruto pondered. She could still pick out his voice after all this time.

"Whoever it was, he went overboard." Her heart stopped when she heard his voice, cold and callous now, completely different from what she remembered. He'd been mirthful and cheery before, a bundle of sunshine.

Just like his brother.

She clenched her teeth. Monster, she was such a monster.

And all monsters were waiting to be slain.

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Well, there you have it. I'm a little unhappy that the chapter's short, but I'm going on by what the original chapters were, and there were only three of them, so you don't have to worry about them being this scrawny forever.

Hey, you. Yes, you. Hit that review button.

-Nihilly


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